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墨書 Inktalez
At a quarter past the hour of the Rabbit, the bronze crane incense burner in the Phoenix Ritual Palace was emitting wisps of fragrant dragon's saliva. Liu Ruyi, dressed in the attire of a third-rank noblewoman and adorned with a crown of nine phoenixes, sat gracefully on a gilded footrest, her fingertips lightly brushing against the jade bracelet gifted by Old Madam. Outside the hall, the sound of jingling ornaments approached as the Empress, clad in ceremonial robes and supported by palace maids, entered. The eastern pearl earrings dangling from her earlobes swayed gently with her steps, enhancing her dignified appearance.
"The new bride from the Duke's Residence is indeed striking," the Empress remarked, gesturing for Liu Ruyi to rise. Her gaze fell upon the jade bracelet on Liu Ruyi's wrist. "This bracelet was part of my dowry back in the day; it appears more vibrant on your wrist than it did on Old Madam's."
Liu Ruyi curtsied deeply, her secret letter brushing against her sleeve as she moved: "In response to Your Majesty, my grandmother often says this bracelet is a blessing from your kind heart, meant only for those with pure intentions." She paused and signaled Zhang Yue to present a gilded lacquer box. "I have come today to pay my respects and to present the golden armor bestowed by the late Emperor that we found while organizing the storerooms in the Duke's Residence."
The Empress raised an eyebrow and signaled for a lady-in-waiting to open the lacquer box. The gilded armor adorned with qilin patterns gleamed coldly in the morning light, and the words "Loyalty and Valor" were prominently displayed on its lining. She traced her fingers over the intricate designs and suddenly sighed, "During the late Emperor's reign, he praised Duke Ning for his loyalty; now it has become fodder for public suspicion."
A chill ran through Liu Ruyi at the veiled implications in the Empress's words, and she quickly knelt to bow her head. "This humble servant dares to offer counsel to Your Majesty. Recently, while reviewing old accounts in our household, I discovered that Zhou Yan embezzled five thousand pounds of iron material during his tenure at the armory and even forged annotations from the Duke's Residence..."
"I am already aware of Zhou Yan's matters," the Empress interrupted, raising her hand for Liu Ruyi to rise. "The Crown Prince reported this morning that an officer from the Duke's Residence has been accused of corruption, which has tarnished our reputation." She suddenly glanced out at the withering wintersweet outside, her voice soft as a feather. "However, I am curious how you, a new bride, dare to confront blades directly on the training grounds?"
Liu Ruyi lowered her gaze to avoid the Empress's scrutinizing eyes, gripping her skirt tightly. "Though I am but a woman, I understand my duty to family and country. The late Duchess sacrificed her beauty to protect my mother; I will forever remember this kindness. Now that the Duke's Residence is being framed, even if it costs me my life, I must defend its honor."
Suddenly, hurried footsteps echoed from outside—the Crown Prince's personal attendant rushed in with urgency: "Your Majesty! Prince Qi has been attacked in the Imperial Garden; the assassin bore weapons marked with 'Zhou'!"
The teacup in the Empress's hand clattered to the ground, shards scattering onto Liu Ruyi's skirt. She sprang to her feet, her jeweled crown shaking violently: "Quickly summon the Imperial Medical Bureau! Send someone to seal off all routes between Eastern Palace and Qi Wang Mansion!"
Seizing this moment, Liu Ruyi discreetly pulled out her secret letter and lowered her voice: "I received news last night that Madam Zhou Yan secretly met with Miss Liu from Liu Residence, suspected of relaying orders from the Crown Prince Faction. This letter belongs to Zhou Yan; I hope Your Majesty will discern its significance."
The Empress took the letter and lingered over the words "Crown Prince’s army shortage" for a long moment before suddenly tossing it into the incense burner. Flames instantly consumed its contents, leaving only a few ashes behind: "Now that you are married into Duke’s Residence, you should understand that some matters are better left unsaid. Go back and tell your Young Lord that today’s assassination attempt on Zhenguo Grand General will compel His Majesty to investigate weapon sources thoroughly; he must not act rashly."
As Liu Ruyi exited Phoenix Ritual Palace, she noticed that the snow had stopped falling. Sitting in her carriage and gazing at the remnants of snow beneath palace walls weighed heavily on her heart. The Empress’s stance was clear—the Crown Prince Faction was using Duke’s Residence as a means to replenish military supplies and would go so far as to assassinate Zhenguo Grand General to frame them. The secret letter she had just presented was less evidence than an oath of loyalty to express her stance before the Empress.
"Miss, why didn't you directly inform Her Majesty about the Crown Prince privately forging weapons?" Zhang Yue draped a fox fur over her shoulders, feeling Liu Ruyi’s icy fingertips.
Liu Ruyi looked out at the red walls passing by outside and replied softly: "Though Her Majesty is virtuous and wise, she is ultimately still the Crown Prince’s mother. If pressed too hard, it may only raise her suspicions. Moreover..." She paused as she recalled the fierce glint in Her Majesty’s eyes when she burned that letter. "His Majesty has long harbored discontent towards the Crown Prince but lacks a suitable excuse. We only need to link Zhenguo Grand General’s assassination case with Zhou Yan’s embezzlement case; His Majesty will naturally notice something amiss."
The carriage stopped before Duke’s Residence only to find its gates tightly shut and surrounded by Imperial Guards. Niu Peng rushed over covered in blood, panic evident in his voice: "Madam! The Young Lord has been accused by an Imperial Censor of 'colluding with foreign enemies'; His Majesty has dispatched Minister of Justice to search our residence!"
Liu Ruyi felt darkness closing in around her and nearly collapsed. Steadying herself against the carriage door, she looked towards lanterns flickering within—suddenly recalling what she had overheard last night at Liu Residence: “If something happens, blame it on Duke’s Residence.” It turned out that Crown Prince Faction had long set up this trap; Zhou Yan was merely a pawn—this real scheme was using Zhenguo Grand General’s assassination case to solidify charges against Duke’s Residence for “forging weapons and colluding with foreign ministers.”
"What are you panicking about!" She abruptly threw aside the carriage curtain; pearls from her crown brushed against her cheek. "Send my orders: open up storerooms for inspection by Imperial Censors but ensure that I personally hold onto keys for weapon storage. Also send someone to fetch Old Madam; tell her that Her Majesty has sent calming tea requiring her personal collection."
Niu Peng hurried off with instructions while Liu Ruyi took a deep breath and stepped into her residence slowly. In front of them in the courtyard stood Minister of Justice directing officers as they rummaged through everything while Yuan Yingwu was shackled against a pillar—his shoulder armor removed revealed old wounds seeping blood.
"Liu Ruyi! You’ve arrived just in time," said Imperial Censor Deputy holding an account book with a glint of malice in his eyes. "Your armory actually contains blueprints for crossbows from previous dynasties; what punishment do you deserve?"
Liu Ruyi glanced at that forged account book and noticed that “crossbow” was written with fresh ink while even its pages were dampened with moisture. Turning back towards those gathered around she addressed them: “Esteemed officials here have dealt with real matters; do you know that crossbows from previous dynasties required thirty pounds of fine iron while springs needed copper from southwestern regions? If Duke’s Residence truly engaged in forging weapons then why is there a shortage of five thousand pounds of iron material?”
Imperial Censor Deputy faltered momentarily before retorting: “You must have melted down iron material for weaponry!”
“Absurd!” Liu Ruyi scoffed coldly and commanded Zhang Yue to present genuine military supply records. “Since Old Duke passed away, our armory has only seen entries without any exits; all Iron Tools entering or leaving require both Old Madam and Young Lord’s signatures. Here are nearly ten years’ worth of records—feel free to check when there were ever mentions of ‘crossbows’ or ‘armor’?”
Minister of Justice took over account book flipping through pages as his expression grew increasingly grave upon seeing annotations highlighted in red during Zhou Yan’s tenure: “These annotations…”
"It is indeed the seal of the Duke's Residence forged by Zhou Yan." Liu Ruyi seized the moment and took out the testimony of the Locksmith from her sleeve. "Yesterday, the Locksmith confessed that Zhou Yan ordered him to replicate the key to the armory. As for the blueprints for the crossbow," she turned to the Imperial Censor Deputy, "may I ask, why are there signs of insect damage only on the right edge of these blueprints? Is it possible that insects only eat the right side of the paper?"
It was then that everyone noticed the neatly trimmed edges of the "wormholes" on the right side of the blueprints, clearly indicating human intervention. The Imperial Censor Deputy's face turned ashen, and just as he was about to explode with anger, he saw Old Madam hurriedly approaching with assistance from a palace maid, holding a golden lacquered food box granted by the Empress.
"Old Madam, you arrived just in time!" The Minister of Justice quickly bowed. "This concerns whether the Duke's Residence has been secretly forging weapons..."
"I just heard about this matter from Her Majesty in the palace," Old Madam said, gesturing for the palace maid to open the food box. Inside was surprisingly a Pardon of Innocence bestowed by the late Emperor. "Her Majesty, considering that the Duke's Residence has been loyal for generations, specially allowed me to bring this back. As for the armory, I request that you personally accompany me to inspect it."
When the doors of the armory were opened, rows of armor gleamed coldly under the candlelight, arranged neatly like soldiers in formation. Liu Ruyi held the key and personally opened a hidden compartment deep inside, revealing a scroll of Taizu Wujing and a Yellow Silk Imperial Edict from when it was awarded by the late Emperor.
"Everyone please take a look," she pointed at a moisture-proof charcoal bag inside the compartment. "This compartment is opened once every three years solely for airing out books. If there were truly any secret forging activities, why would they not hide the blueprints in a more concealed location?"
The Minister of Justice bent down to examine it and saw that the charcoal bag was still in its original form; the date on the edict matched with the records of when the compartment was opened. He couldn't help but stroke his beard and sigh deeply: "It seems I have been misled. Zhou Yan, that scoundrel, dared to frame loyal subjects!"
Seeing that things were turning against him, the Imperial Censor Deputy quietly began to retreat but was stopped by Niu Peng and his men. Liu Ruyi slowly walked up to him and said softly, "Is Your Excellency in such a hurry to leave because you need to inform His Highness?"
The man trembled all over, dropping his ledger on the ground, revealing a handwritten note from the Crown Prince tucked inside. The Minister of Justice picked it up and his face changed dramatically: "You... how dare you collude with Eastern Palace!"
That night, Dali Temple arrested the Imperial Censor Deputy on charges of "framing loyal subjects and forming factions." Liu Ruyi stood in the courtyard watching as a group was taken away when suddenly she felt dizzy. Yuan Yingwu appeared behind her and draped his cloak over her shoulders: "Silly girl, are you exhausted?"
She turned and fell into his embrace, catching a faint scent of blood on him: "They even forged blueprints for crossbows; if it weren't for Her Majesty's Pardon of Innocence..."
"There is no 'if'," Yuan Yingwu gently stroked her hair, a glint of ruthlessness flashing in his eyes. "I had already had someone investigate that Imperial Censor Deputy; he goes to visit the Crown Prince's villa on every fifteenth day of each month. This time he jumped out to bite back simply to shift blame onto His Highness and ensure his family's safety."
Liu Ruyi looked up at him and noticed faint blood vessels in his eyes: "You already knew they would frame us? That's why you sent Grandmother to seek Her Majesty's help?"
Yuan Yingwu sighed and helped her sit down on a stone bench: "Years ago my father told me that the true secret of Duke's Residence lies not in its armory but in people's hearts. The more the Crown Prince Faction tries to drag us down with them, the more we must stir up chaos. Now that the Imperial Censor Deputy has been captured, His Majesty will surely investigate any connection between Eastern Palace and this armory case; as for us..." He suddenly grasped her hand with intense focus, "we only need to do one thing—make Zhenguo Grand General believe that Duke's Residence is his pawn against His Highness."
Liu Ruyi's heart trembled as she finally understood why he allowed Zhou Yan's matter to escalate. From the moment Zhou Yan was captured, he had placed Duke's Residence at the center of this storm, using their own family as bait to draw out a confrontation between Crown Prince Faction and Qi Wang Party.
"But this is too dangerous..." she whispered, her fingertips brushing against his waist where a jade pendant hung—something she had secretly placed into his arms earlier that morning.
Yuan Yingwu suddenly laughed, though there was an air of desolation in his laughter: "From the day you agreed to switch marriages with me, we have had no way back. Did you think I was truly a wastrel? Those women who redeemed themselves from brothels were merely my spies. Including Fan Jiao Jiao; her father saved me years ago; now she is just acting in a play for Crown Prince Faction."
Liu Ruyi looked up sharply as memories flooded back—Fan Jiao Jiao had been placed at Green Water Pavilion and every day carriages delivered “supplements.” It turned out those were all coded messages. She suddenly felt that her husband before her was both familiar yet strange; that young general who wielded weapons on training grounds was far deeper and more resolute than she had imagined.
"Tomorrow Zhenguo Grand General will come to visit," Yuan Yingwu said softly. "You only need to tell him that Duke's Residence’s Iron Tools have flowed into His Highness’s army; as for evidence..." He pointed towards a distant storage room, "it will naturally appear when needed."
As midnight struck, Liu Ruyi stood before the armory door lost in thought while holding onto her key. Zhang Yue approached with a lantern and suddenly pointed at a corner: "Miss, look over there!"
In a corner where snow had accumulated lay half-buried an old rusty iron plate; though faded, it still bore three words: Crown Prince's Mansion. Liu Ruyi’s heart skipped a beat as she recalled what Her Majesty had said while burning letters—“seeing through without speaking through”—it turned out Her Majesty had long known about His Highness’s actions but chose to use Duke's Residence as leverage against her son.
"Zhang Yue," she said softly, "go fetch Niu Peng and tell him suspicious items have been found in the armory. Remember to let Zhenguo Grand General’s spies see it."
Zhang Yue complied and left while Liu Ruyi gazed at the starry sky above her. Suddenly she remembered being pierced by a dagger in her past life; at that moment she thought herself to be most unfortunate yet never expected that after being reborn she would become embroiled in this intricate power struggle. But now she felt no fear because she finally understood that fate had given her a second chance—not for revenge but for her to become someone who controls destiny itself.
The snow began to fall again, but it was no longer as fierce as in the previous days. Liu Ruyi tightened her grip on the iron medal in her hand, feeling the uneven texture on its surface. She knew that this small medal would become the spark igniting the conflict between the Crown Prince Faction and the Qi Wang Party, and she and Yuan Yingwu would fight for a way out for the Duke's Residence amidst this storm.
"Liu Ruyi," Yuan Yingwu's voice came from behind her, "Are you cold?"
She turned around and looked at the snowflakes resting on his shoulders, suddenly smiling. "Not at all. Because I know that no matter how heavy the snow falls, we will get through it together."
Yuan Yingwu reached out to brush the snow off her head, his eyes reflecting the swirling snowstorm. "Yes, together. From now on, the Duke's Residence will no longer be a soft persimmon for others to squeeze, but a solid wall that everyone dares not underestimate."
The snow fell thicker and thicker, yet around them, it wove a warm barrier. Liu Ruyi leaned against Yuan Yingwu's shoulder, listening to the steady rhythm of his heartbeat. Suddenly, she felt that this unfathomable struggle for power within the household and the unpredictable battle for imperial authority no longer seemed so terrifying. Because she knew that as long as they stood united as husband and wife, there would be no obstacle they could not overcome, no river they could not cross.
This night was destined to be a sleepless one. But Liu Ruyi believed that as long as they endured this long night, the dawn would eventually illuminate every inch of land in the Duke's Residence.
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